Wilmer Flores’ grand slam, homers by Mauricio Dubon, Darin Ruf help power Giants past Cardinals
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday and not coincidentally regained their penchant for the long ball.
A first-inning grand slam by Wilmer Flores and two-run shots by Mauricio Dubon and Darin Ruf in the second inning staked Logan Webb to a lead and the Giants held on for a 13-7 win before a Buster Posey Day crowd of 40,113 at Oracle Park.
The win improved the Giants to 15-12, with the Cardinals falling to 15-12. The 13 runs exceeded the total of 10 runs scored over 45 innings during the five-game losing streak.
The grand slam was Flores’ third home run of the year, with Dubon and Ruf hitting their first home runs of the season. Dylan Carlson homered for the Cardinals. Flores, who also had a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk, tied his career high with six RBIs.
The Giants added a run in the bottom of the seventh on a double into the left field corner by Thairo Estrada off of Nick Wittgren. It drove home Luis Gonzalez, who had a one-out single. They got three more in the eighth without the benefit of a hit, getting four walks a hit batter and a sacrifice fly.
St. Louis drew within 9-7 in the seventh inning when Dylan Carlson hit a three-run home run off Zack Littell, his first career home run. Paul Goldschmidt led off the inning with a single for the Cardinals and was joined on the bases by Tyler O’Neill one out later with another single.
Webb, still attempting to regain the sharpness he had to start the season and at the end of last season, gave up eights and four earned runs in five innings. He threw 84 pitches, 56 of them strikes, with two walks and seven strikeouts before giving way to Dominic Leone. Leone gave way to Littell, then Tyler Rogers and Jarlin Garcia.
In his last four starts, Webb (4-1) has given up 32 hits in 23 1/3 innings with an ERA of 5.01 with seven walks and 17 strikeouts.
First baseman Brandon Belt, who returned from the COVID-19 list Saturday, left in the eighth inning after swinging and missing at a pitch from Kodi Whitley, who was in the process of walking the first four batters of the inning. LaMonte Wade Jr. stepped in to finish the at-bat and walked.
The Giants continued their long ball assault on starter and loser Steven Matz (3-2) in the second inning, with Dubon and Ruf each connecting for two-run home runs and an 8-3 lead.
Dubon’s blast over the centerfield fence brought in Mike Yastrzemski, who opened with a single. Ruf’s home run scored Brandon Belt, who walked.
That would be it for Matz, who gave up eight earned runs in two innings.
St. Louis added a fourth run against Webb in the fourth inning when Harrison Bader walked with one out, stole second and came home on a single by Paul DeJong.
In the second, Yadier Molina and DeJong had run-scoring singles as the Cardinals scored twice against Webb.
Trailing 1-0, Giants leadoff hitter Austin Slater drew a walk against Matz. Dubon followed with a grounder down the third base line that Nolan Arenado stopped but couldn’t field for an infield single. Belt walked on a 3-2 pitch, with cleanup hitter Darin Ruf hitting a pop up behind second base for the first out.
That set the stage for Flores, who drove a 2-2 pitch into the left field seats for his fifth career grand slam and first as a Giant. It gave the Giants a 4-1 lead and provided a cushion for Webb.
Flores drove in another run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly in an inning aided by two St. Louis errors.
